Furniture glide



' Nov.11,1941. H. G. swARR 2,262,063

FURNITURE GLIDE Filed April 29, 1959 v Patented Nov. 11, 1941 FURNITURE GLIDE Howard G. Swarr, Lancaster, Pa., assignor to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa.., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 29, 1939, Serial No. 270,720 1 8 Claims.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application, Serial No. 253,727, filed January 31, 1939.

This invention relates to glides or sliding shoes forms in connection with articles of furniture and, more particularly, to glides so constructed as to permit an article of furniture to be tilted while in contact with the supporting surface Without danger of breaking or cracking the glide.

-This invention has for its chief object to provide an improved furniture glide and attaching means, of simple, economical construction so as to reduce its cost and to facilitate manufacturing and assembling operations. An object of my invention is to provide a glide so constructed as to permit an article of furniture to be tilted while in contact with the supporting surface without danger of breaking or cracking the glide. A further object isto provide a glide so constructed that compressive forces created by a carried load are distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the glide rather than being localized in the center of the glide.

This invention relates to a glide for furniture comprising a base having a fiat floor engaging bottom surface, said base having a semi-spherical v recess therein, and a rounded furniture supporting member of substantially the same diameter as the recess and seated therein, said member terminating in a furniture piercing portion and being flattened diametrically opposite the furniture piercing portion whereby the load is distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the recess. My invention further relates to a glide for furniture in which a load distributing mem- Figure 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of glide; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the glide shown in Figure 4, illustrating a different form of furniture attaching means.

Referring to the drawing,- there is shown. a

glide comprising. a molded base 2 having a flat floor engaging bottom surface and a domed or frusto-convex upper surface. A semi-spherical recess 3 is formedin the domed surface adapted to receive a furniture supporting member, the recess 3 being molded substantially .500" in diameter. A rounded rib or ridge-4 surrounds the recess-i'l and contracts the effective opening thereof to a width less than the maximum diameter of th recess.

The ribA islocated a slight distance below the opening. of the recess 3 extending radially inwardly in the recess and contracting the opening thereof to a diameter of approximately .485". The slight recess space remaining above the rib 4 extends outwardly to facilitate insertion of furniture attaching means therein, as will be hereinafter explained. The base, preferably, is molded of aphenol-aldehyde condensation product; although it may be molded of any other suitable material' provided such material possesses sufficient strength,'resiliency, and flexibility to permit slight distortion and a ready return to original form.

The furniture supporting member comprises a rounded orspherical head 5, approximately .495"

' in maximum diameter, so that it is slightly her is provided at the bottom of the base recess,

the furniture supporting member being adapted to seat in and be supported by the load distributing member, the load distributing member being formed of a material possessing greater resistance to compressive forces than the material from which the bas is molded.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood, I will describe the same in conjunction with the attached drawing, in which,

Figure l is a sectional View of the glide of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view in elevation illustrating the glide attached to a furniture leg, such leg being shown by dotted lines in one of the positions to which it may be tilted relative to the base;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the glide shown in Figure 1, illustrating a modified form of furniture attaching means;

smaller than the body of the recess and greater in width than the portion of the recess surrounded by th rib 4. The head 5 is provided with an opening for the reception of, a furniture piercing portion such as a collar nail 6 secured therein by a force fit. In place of a collar nail 6, I may use screw nails, cotter pins, pintles," studs or other suitable furniture piercing means adapted to be forced in an article of furniture to securely retain the glide to such article.

Inassernbling the glide, the furniture supporting member is positioned over the semi-spherical recess 3 on the-domed surface of the base 2, and the'rouncled spherical head 5 is forced or snapped into the recess, the baseZ being sufficiently resilient to permit the rounded head 5 to be forced through the contracted opening and into the recess and capable of returning to original form so that such head by the rib 4. z

The rounded or spherical head 5 is freely rotatable Withinthesemi spherical recess 3 to peris securely held. in the recess mit tilting of an article of furniture while in contact with a supporting surface without danger of breaking or cracking the glide. It will be noted, the bottom surfac of the rounded head of the furniture supporting member is flattened diametrically opposite the furniture piercing portion 5 thereof, the furniture supporting member being engaged and maintained in position by the walls of the recess so that the load is distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the recess rather than localizing it in the center in the weakest portion thereof; in no case does the nail or pin 6 carry the weight of the furniture. A washer I may be provided adjacent the head 5 of the furniture supporting member to prevent the head 5 embedding itself in an article of furniture during.

severe and excessive service, and also serves to limit the tilting movement of the articl of furniture with respect to said glide.

In attaching the glide to an article of furniture, an opening is drilled in the furniture leg 8 (Figure 2) and the nail 6 pounded therein, since such procedure prevents splitting and cracking of the furniture leg if it be formed of cheap or inferior material.

In Figure 3, I have illustrated the glide shown in Figures 1 and 2 provided with a modified form of furniture attaching means. The flattened spherical head 9 is provided with a countersunk opening adapted. to receive the head of a cotter pin, the legs ll of the pin extending through the opening and being bent outwardly above the head 9 to secure the pin to the head. The furniture supporting means and the base are assembled as a unit in the manner above described. When attaching the glide toan article of furniture, an opening is drilled therein, the legs of the cotter pin being forced toward one another and being inserted in such opening. Upon their release, they attempt to spring outwardly to their original form, frictionally engaging the walls of the opening to retain the glide in secure engagement with the furniture.

In Figures 4 and 5, I have illustrated a modified form of glide adapted for use in places where the glide is exposed to severe or excessive compressive or impact forces tending to crush or crack the base. The base I2 is generally similar to the molded base 2 shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the recess I3 therein being cylindrical and having a flat bottom or base rather than being in semi-spherical form like the recess 3 of the base 2. A load distributing member or socket M having substantially the same diameter as the cylindrical recess I3 is placed or seated in the bottom of the recess 13. Such load distributing member I 4 is formed of a material possessing greater resistance to compressive or impact forces than the material from which the base 12 is molded, preferably, metal such as steel, brass, or the like, and is provided with a concave recess l5 adapted to receive the head l6 of the furniture supporting member. The furniture supporting member is generally similar to the furniture supporting member shown in Figures l and 2. The head l6 of the furniture supporting member seats in and is supported by the socket I4, thereby distributing the load in the zone encircling the bottom of the socket l4 and avoiding any concentration of load in a restricted area. It will be appreciated the rounded head I6 is freely rotatable within the recess [3 while in engagement with the socket M, to permit tilting of an article of furniture while in contact with a supporting surface without danger of breaking or cracking the glide. A washer I1 is likewise provided adjacent the head IE to prevent the head [6 embedding itself in the article of furniture during severe service and also serves to limit the tilting movement of the article of furniture with respect to said glide.

The furniture supporting member is assembled in the base 12 as above described, and may be attached to a furniture leg in the same manner as the glide illustrated in Figure 1. Such glide is capable of withstanding severe or excessive compressive or impact forces since the load distributing member l4 resists such forces and distributes the load in the zone encircling the bottom of the member M. The glide shown in Figure 4 is adapted to withstand considerably greater impact forces than the glide illustrated in Figure 1, although it is slightly more expensive to manufacture.

Th glide shown in Figure 5 is similar to the glide shown in Figure 4, but illustrates furniture attaching means similar to that shown in Figure 3. The head l8 of the furniture attaching mem-- ber is provided with a countersunk opening adapted to receive the head I!) of a cotter pin, the

legs 20 of the pin extending through the opening and being bent outwardly above the head 18 to secure the pin to the head. The furniture supporting member and the base may be assembled in the manner above described, and may be attached to a furnitur leg similar to the glide illustrated in Figure 3.

While I have described and illustrated preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood my invention is not so limited since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A glide for furniture comprising a molded base having a floor engaging bottom surface, said base having a semi-spherical recess therein adapted to receive a furniture supporting member, a rib protruding from the wall of the recess contracting the effective opening thereof to a width less than the maximum diameter of the recess, and a rounded furniture supporting mem ber of greater diameter than the effective opening of the recess secured in said recess by said rib, said furniture supporting member being freely rotatable therein to permit tilting of the furniture with respect to said base, said base being sufficiently resilient to permit said member to be inserted through the contracted openingand to permit the base to return to original form to retain said member in the recess.

2. A glide for furniture according to claim 1, in which the furniture supporting member comprises, a rounded head of greater diameter than the effective opening of the recess terminating in a furniture piercing portion and being flattened diametrically opposite the furniture piercing portion whereby the load is distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the recess.

3. A glide for furniture comprising a molded base having a floor engaging bottom surface. said base having a recess therein adapted to receive a load distributing member, a rib protruding from the wall of the recess contracting the effective opening thereof to a width less than the maximum diameter of the recess, a load distributing member placed at the bottom of the recess, said member being formed of a material possessing greater resistance to compressive forces than the material from which the base is formed, and. a rounded furniture supporting member of greater diameter than the effective opening of the recess supported by said load distributing member and being secured in said recess by said rib, said furniture supporting member being freely rotatable therein to permit tilting of the furniture with respect to said base, said base being sufficiently resilient to permit said furniture supporting member to be inserted through the contracted opening and to permit the base to return to original form to retain said member in the recess.

4. A glide for furniture according to claim 3, in which the furniture supporting member comprises a rounded head of substantially the same diameter as the recess terminating in a furniture piercing portion and being flattened diametrically opposite the furniture piercing portion whereby the load is distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the load distributing member.

5. A glide for furniture comprising a molded base having a floor engaging bottom surface, said base having a recess therein adapted to receive a furniture supporting member, a rib protruding from the wall of the recess contracting the effective opening thereof to a width less than the maximum width of the recess, and a furniture supporting member having a width greater than the contracted opening secured in the recess by said rib, said base being suificiently resilient to permit said furniture supporting member to be inserted through the contracted opening and to permit the base to return to original form to retain said member in the recess.

6. A glide for furniture according to claim 5, in which the furniture supporting member comprises a'rounded head of greater diameter than the effective opening of the recess, and means to attach the head to a furniture leg, said head having a flattened lower surface whereby the load is distributed in a zone encircling the bottom of the recess.

7. A glide for furniture comprising a base having a floor engaging bottom surface, said base having a recess therein adapted to receive a load distributing member, a rib protruding from the wall of the recess contracting the effective opening thereof to a width less than the maximum diameter of the recess, a load distributing member disposed within the recess, said member being formed of a material possessing greater resistance to compressive forces than the material from which the base is formed, and a furniture supporting member of greater diameter than the effective opening of the recess supported by said load distributing member and being secured in said recess by said rib, said base being suflicient- 1y resilient to permit said furniture supporting member to be inserted through the contracted opening and to permit the base to return to original form to retain said member in the recess, said furniture supporting member having a flattened lower surface whereby the load is distributed in the zone encircling the bottom of the load distributing member.

8. A glide for furniture according to claim 7, in which the load distributing member has a concave recess in its upper surface, and the fur-' niture supporting member supported by the load distributing member has substantially the same radius of curvature as the concave recess therein.

HOWARD G. SWARR. 

